


The Voice: A Parahuman Tale

by Talc



Category: Welcome to Night Vale, Worm (Web Serial Novel)
Genre: M/M, Multi, parahuman AU, superhero au, tags will change
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-05-17
Updated: 2014-09-29
Packaged: 2018-01-25 10:00:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 15,003
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1644704
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Talc/pseuds/Talc
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Carlos is a scientist working for Strexcorp Laboratories in the city of Desert Bluffs, which just happens to have the highest crime rate in the state. One night he is saved by a masked man who calls himself 'The Voice'. Carlos was just a scientist, but now he's been pulled into a world of capes and he didn't even know it. Superhero/Parahuman AU</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Voice

**Author's Note:**

> This is a Night Vale AU based on the web serial Worm, which takes place in an alternate world where superpowers are common. People with powers are called capes and they get their powers from something called 'trigger events', which basically means that they have to be in major peril for them to gain powers. You don't have to read Worm to understand this story as I'm only really using the idea and the world, not any of the characters, though some historical plot elements that are not considered spoilers may be mentioned. Also, some powers in this story may be similar to those in Worm. Have fun!
> 
> I take no claim to Welcome to Night Vale or to Worm.

The Voice: A Parahuman Tale

The city of Desert Bluffs was almost silent around midnight on a Wednesday night. Hardly a breeze blew, nor a car passed by. Everyone tended to be home in bed, but not Carlos. No, Carlos was just leaving work, a bag slung around his slumped shoulders and a white, though slightly stained, lab coat wrapped around him. He was hugging himself tightly, silently damning the coldness the desert adapted at night. There were no stars, only an inky black void hanging above them, the far away stars blocks by the lights and smog of the city. Not that this was a dirty city. No, it was clean, pristine. If you didn't mind the blood.

Not real blood, of course; metaphoric blood is what we're talking about. The crime rate in Desert Bluffs was the highest in the state, finding a dead body in the morning came along with picking up the newspaper. Not that anything was better anywhere else. It was well known that crime had increased in the last five decades, steadily becoming a problem since the atomic age. Desert Bluffs, like most cities, was the sort of place you didn't want to go walking alone at night. Gangs dwelled in the dark, hoods masking their faces, knives and guns hidden up sleeves. So, really, why was Carlos walking around alone at midnight?

To be honest, he often questioned himself about this very inquiry. Most of is nights ended around morning and unfortunately, he hardly knows how to sleep. The best way to describe Carlos is probably 'workaholic'. He works often and long and is so devoted to his work that he often forgets time exists, keeping himself glued to his notes long after everyone else has gone home. He practically lives off of coffee , and has a habit of forgetting to eat, or drink, or even sleep for that matter. It doesn't do much for his health, but he is the top scientist in his division at Strex Corp Laboratories, the place where he works. It's not a huge accomplishment, but it is worth it. Hard work pays off, especially when it comes to Strex Corp. But it also tends to cause problems.

                                                                                                                                       
Which brings us to the moment where Carlos suddenly sees several hooded figures approach him from out of a dark alleyway...And then immediately corner him into another alleyway. It's times like these when we wonder how he ever became a scientist in the first place. Like, I think scientists are supposed to be smart, right?

Okay, alright, back to the story. So the figures enclosed around Carlos, their faces obscured by black hoods. This made it sort of obvious who they were, of course, because everyone knows anyone who wears a black hood is part of the Dog Park, one of the largest gangs in Desert Bluffs. Duh. That's why black hoods were banned from schools and public supermarkets. Of course, it's highly unlikely a Dog Park member (which are, of course, referred to as 'hooded figures') would be in high school, but you never know. One of them spoke, a low, gravely sort of voice hissing out from the hood.

"Worker, hand over all your money, and valuables." The hooded figure commands. Honestly, who do they think they are? Or more so, who do they think Carlos is? Because he may be a scientist, but he's also just a scientist. Legitimately, he has basically no money, or valuables at all. It's not like he's the CEO or anything. Who are they trying to kid?

And, of course, Carlos points this out right away. "I-I don't have any money. Or valuables. I'm a scientist, not some sort of Strex Executive." He explains, pretty patiently for a man who is being cornered in a pitch black alleyway. Of course, he was also slightly cowering and his voice shook slightly with the kind of nervous pitch most often associated with anxiety, but, you know, semantics.

"Don't lie to us. You work for Strex, and are therefore paid. You should have valuables." The voice said. Carlos rolled his eyes.  
"Practically everyone in Desert Bluffs works for Strexcorp. T-that really doesn't mean anything."

"Well then," A different hooded figure hissed, "I guess we'll just have to take something else from you instead."

"Like your hair." Another one piped in.

"And your coat."

"And your eyes."

"And high ranking organs."

All the hooded figures start nodding. They seemed pretty gleeful, to be honest. Kind of creepily cheery, like talking about selling organs on the black market was the norm. Well, it kind of is...Anyways, one of them pulled out a long knife from their sleeve. Another was suddenly armed with a scalpel. One has then miraculously acquired an axe. We don't really know why.

Carlos shrank back further against the wall. His demeanor suggested he would really like to become thewall at that very moment. "I-I really don't think t-that's necessary." He stuttered nervously.

One of the hooded figures laughed. "You'd be surprised how well your hair would sell on the black market." The others laughed along. Carlos began to shake nervously. One of the figures suddenly lashed out at him, their hand elongating into a sharp scythe which they flicked at Carlos's neck. Carlos felt the sting of the cut, hot drops of blood sliding down onto his collar. Not enough to do too much damage, but still a problem, still threatening enough.

Suddenly, something thick and black swooped out of the darkness, wrapping itself around the scythe handed figure's neck and thrashing them against the alley wall. The hooded figures turned as if to face the attacker, only for another black object to swing out and wrap around a hooded figures torso and fling them away. More followed, coiling around the figures, and tossing them away, suffocating and bruising them.

                                                                                                                                           

Then, from out of the darkness came a smooth, deep, sonorous voice. "Leave him alone." It boomed, resounding around the alleyway. "Stand up, and leave." The voice is, in a word, perfect. It is the taste of the cocoa at the bottom of the mug, and stepping into a bath after a long, cold day. This voice could read the phone book and still make it sound like a classic fantasy/horror novel. It was beautiful, and Carlos was immediately transfixed. He didn't even notice as the hooded figures began picking themselves up, and walking away swiftly, almost robotically. I noticed, of course, I'm the narrator and therefore know everything. But Carlos doesn't. He may be a scientist, but he's not telling this story, is he? Oh, I must have lost track of myself, sorry. Then, as if doused with a cold bucket of water, he came to his senses, and there stood his savior before him.

A figure walked from the shadows, and stood in a dark cowl, black objects flicking back, and forth around them. Carlos soon realised these were sort of tentacle like limbs that were protruding form the person's back. In the dim light, Carlos could make out a hardly armored dark purple, full body suit with a symbol on the front; a stylized eye with a crescent moon in the middle. They wore high black boots and long black gloves, and, as mentioned, a dark cowl which partially hid their face, the rest covered by a simple purple mask.

They smiled, offering a hand to Carlos, who hadn't even realised he had shrunk down to the ground in fear. Carlos tentatively took the hand, feeling the person pull him swiftly to his feet.  
"That was a close one." The figure says. "Those guys tend to steal organs." His voice isn't very menacing when he smiles.

"I, uh, yeah...Thanks for saving me." Carlos says warily.

"No problem. I couldn't let them ruin your perfect hair." The person offered, blushing slightly under the mask. It was hard to tell, really, because it was dark and stuff. But, this is a story and I'm a narrator and honestly, I know everything. So trust me, they were blushing. And when I say slightly, I mean they were blushing hardcore.

Carlos blushed. "Eh, it's not that special." His hair was really messy and he hadn't showered in a few days or gotten the hair cut or trimmed in a long time. Actually, he kind of needed a hair cut...  
"Oh no, it's lovely." The person offered. "...Oh, right, I'm the Voice." He offers a hand.

"Carlos." Carlos shook the Voice's hand with caution.

The Voice suddenly looked at Carlos's neck. "Oh, you have a bit of blood there...Here, let me." The voice took one of his tentacles, and moved it over the cut. Carlos tensed up, but the Voice just smiled softly. "Trust me. I'm just staunching the blood flow." The tentacle pressed against Carlos's neck, not enough to chock, but enough that Carlos could feel it, feel discomfort from it. When the Voice pulled the tentacle away, the blood had stopped dripping.  
"There." The Voice smiled sweetly, sincerely.

Carlos blushed. "I, uh, thanks."

A noise sounded in the distance, sort of like a scream, or a crash, or a siren. It's hard to tell. "It's no problem. I'd like to walk you home, but it seems I have to go so, keep safe." The Voice smiled one last time, waving Carlos goodbye before he used his tentacles to raise himself onto the rooftop of a nearby building, quickly disappearing afterwards. Carlos stood for a moment, paralyzed, before slowly starting his walk back home. He thought of the Voice. He wasn't one of the local capes, Carlos thought. He must have been new to town.

The local cape group was the Smiling Gods, a Strex sponsored group headed by Captain Strex. As far as Carlos had heard, his major power was the ability to control sand, which is pretty helpful in the desert, for obvious reasons; abundant supplies. Then their was Sunspot, a super heroine with some sort of fire power Carlos had yet to determine. And the Automatronic, who could turn his body into metal. There were a few more, but those were the only ones Carlos knew about in depth. This guy, though, the Voice, he didn't seem like any of them. Maybe he was one of those solo heroes, like Madam Faceless or Calvary? There weren't a lot of those in town, but Carlos knew that they tended to skip around.

Carlos couldn't shake off these thoughts as he finally found his apartment, stumbling inside. He only took the time to lock the door before he collapsed on his bed, clothes and all, only halfway sprawled on the mattress.  
Three hours later, the alarm clock went off.

-  
-  
-

Carlos had to literally pull himself out of bed, throwing off his clothes inelegantly, and slumping against the wall as he douses himself in freezing cold water. Then he's dressed again, shoving on his labcoat and almost forgetting his bag as he runs out the door. Strexcorp doesn't appreciate late employees.

The Official Strexcorp laboratories are located in a tall building in the nicer part of the city, towards the city center. Carlos worked on the seventh floor, head of the Research Department for Pharmaceuticals. He was hoping to go into Genetic studies, but it looked like a promotion wouldn't come anytime soon.

As he entered the building, he was greeted cheerfully by the front desk worker, Vanessa. Her desk was in the middle of a pristine white room lined with multiple television screens which broadcasted the local news, where other workers milled about, briefcases in hand and bright yellow ties tucked behind suit jackets. Carlos looked out of place in the shining building; the floors sparkled, and light shined through wall to wall windows, overlooking the most scenic part of the city. His not-even-ironed plaid shirts, and stained lab coat looked like a whole other world away from everyone else. His messy hair was a mark of travesty to those who gelled theirs back every morning. His shoes weren't even fit for an office; they were old sneakers he'd owned since college.

He waved back to Vanessa, faking a smile before heading to the elevator. Sometimes he wondered why he was even working here. It was always so happy, so cheerful. Carlos often thought there was something in the water of Desert Bluffs, then he realised that that made no sense, and really, scientifically he was being silly. Then, of course, he is reminded of why he had a job here in the first place. Mostly in the form of a tall man standing in Carlos's office, leaning casually against Carlo's desk, and talking on the phone angrily with a voice that suggested someone majorly screwed up. Chances are, they did.

"I told you once and I won't say it again; if you don't recover the serum I will lob off your head and throw it into the fires of hell you idiotic cretin!" The man hissed into the phone. Carlos watched somewhat annoyed, somewhat bored. Mostly, he was indifferent. This was the norm.

"I don't care what you have to do! That damn villain better be caught by tomorrow!" The man said lastly, slamming the phone shut. Carlos said nothing as the man took a moment to compose himself, stuffing the phone in his pocket. That's when Carlos coughed awkwardly.

"Juan?" He questioned, approaching the man.

The man, Juan, smiled the way a shark might smile, or maybe a snake. Either way, it is unpleasant, and welcoming at the same time. This should worry you. It unnerves Carlos often. "Ah, Carlos, mi hermanito. Buenos dias."  
Carlos raised an eyebrow. "What are you doing here?" He asked, confused.

Juan mock frowned, touching a hand to his heart. "Can't a man visit his little brother every once, and awhile without being interrogated?"

Carlos stared back at his brother, unamused. "Not when said man is the CEO of Strex Corp."

Juan rolled his eyes. "So skeptical, hermanito." Seeing the look Carlos gave him, Juan sighed. "Fine, fine, I am here for a reason."

"And it is?"

Juan's voice suddenly turned increasingly more serious. "This morning I got a phone call telling me half of my best research team, including their head scientist, were all found in pools of their own blood."

Carlos frowned. "Any sign of who did it?"

Juan nodded. "Their necks were split open, and their legs were practically mauled to bits. We have reason to believe that this was the work of Librarians."

Carlos's frown deepened. This was surely troubling; the Librarians were another local gang, though twice more ruthless, and blood thirsty than the Dog Park were known to be. They tended to make meat out of their victims, had a habit of scattering bodies, and decapitation. Their known leader was called Walpole, known for her power to elongate her nails to sharp talons, like that of a feline but larger, and sharp enough to cut through steel. Other members included Melville, and Hawthorne; two supposedly twins who could generate illusions, and Shelley, a small girl who never seemed to die. Press had nicknamed her the Zombie, but it never really caught on.

When it came to the Librarians, the only upside was that they were very honorable with their kills. They only killed those who had wronged them, or in some way caused trouble for them. So if Juan's best team was attacked, it was likely Juan or the team had tangled where they shouldn't have. This would have been more concerning if Carlos didn't know his brother at all.

"Why would the Librarians be targeting you? They only attack when provoked. What did you do?" Carlos asked.

Juan shook his head. "Nothing, hermano. Sheesh, trust me for once." Catching Carlos's look, Juan sighs. "Look, I don't understand it either. But, of course, that's not what I came here for. Hermanito, I wanted to ask you if you could be the replacement head scientist for the team till I can find a long-term scientist to fill in the space. I know you studied forensics in college, thought it would be helpful if you could find out anything about they're deaths."

Carlos stared at his brother in surprised. "Me? But-"

"Look, I know you're busy with that new medicine we have you working on, but if you'd be willing to do this for me, I might be able to pull some strings and get you into the genetics department." Juan smiled with all the charm of a viper.  
"I- That would be amazing, but...Why me?" Carlos asked pitifully.

Juan smiled again, this time more sincerely, though it didn't quite meet his eyes. For as long as Carlos had known him, is smiles had never really reached his eyes. "Because I trust you, and know you, hermanito." This was a lie. I think it's good for you to understand, before this story escalates, that Juan likes to like. and Carlos, being his brother, sort of, knows this. But for some reason, this time, he forgot about it.

"Alright...I'll take the job."

Juan clapped a hand on Carlos's shoulder. "Glad to know you're cooperating. I suggest you go and talk to your team and tell them you'll be gone for a few weeks, maybe appoint a temporary head scientist. I'll come get you around twelve. Chau!" Juan waved cheerily and sauntered out of the room. Only seconds later, Carlos heard him snap angrily at someone on the phone. No surprises there.

For a few minutes, Carlos just stood in his office, mulling over the conversation. Rarely had his brother ever really shown him any kindness, or treated him anything remotely brotherly. For instance, Carlos remembered how happy his brother was when he left for school. It would be ten years later anyone in his family would actually seen him, and that was when he suddenly offered Carlos a job at Strexcorp. Before that, they had hardly spoke. Juan used to steal Carlos's things and spread rumors about him in school. He had a habit of swapping their homework and scribbling wrong answers on Carlos's papers when he wasn't looking. Things had always been awkward and tense between them, not just because their parents had the genius idea to name their eldest Juan Carlos and their youngest Carlos. Still, he was his brother. It was odd, but ever since Carlos got this job, him and Juan had been just a bit closer. Or maybe that was just his imagination. Either way, Carlos saw this as a chance to move up in his career. So, dutifully, he went down to the lab to tell his scientists he would be gone for awhile.

-  
-  
-

Carlos's lab was one of the moderate size ones that adorned Strexcorp Laboratories'' halls. Starch white, like most of the building, with tables lined up covered in papers and beakers, and unidentifiable machines used for looking at chemicals, and bacteria, viruses, and the like. In the back of the lab was another room that required a special suit to enter, as that was where they contained the most dangerous diseases they often had to work with. Of course, they didn't just deal with diseases, but it is a large part of their job.

When Carlos started his job here, he had five scientists working under him. Now he had eight. Most of them were present on this day, some were sitting down and working, some standing up and working. When he entered, a few looked up. But not all of them. most didn't even acknowledge their boss. This was the norm.

Carlos set down his bag, and clapped his hands twice, loudly.

"Excuse me, everyone, I need to talk to you." He announced. In a second, after finishing jotting down notes, the scientists looked up. "I was just informed that some of the scientists from the team upstairs are, sadly, dead." There was a small sound of surprise among the room. Carlos did not waver. "Including those who are now dead was the head of the department. I have been asked to take their place till a permanent person can be put in place. So, for a few weeks, I will not be down here to direct you." A murmur among colleagues. "Since, I will not be here, I am appointing Rochelle as temporary department head. All directions will be taken from her until further notice." The murmur grew louder. Everyone began to start asking questions, but Carlos just held up a hand. "Please. There is no avoiding this, I have to go do this job. Rochelle is a very capable person. She'll do fantastically."

For a second, there was silence. Then Carlos spoke again. "Now, uh, get back to work."

Rochelle walked up to Carlos with a sad smile. "Thank you for giving me this position, but I don't think I'm ready." She said quietly.

Carlos smiled, placing a hand on the younger scientist's shoulder. "Rochelle, you are more fit for this job than you realise." She smiled back, then frowned, reaching out a hand to Carlos's neck.  
"...Carlos, what happened?" She ran her fingers over a thin, yet long line running across his throat.

Carlos unconsciously reached up to touch the cut. With all the drama this morning, Carlos had almost forgotten about the night before. That night in the alley, with the Hooded Figures and that person...The Voice. For some reason, Carlos felt the need to hide what happened the night before, to keep it a secret. So he brushed of Rochelle.

"Oh...I must have cut myself shaving or something..." He said, faking a smile.

Her smile is hesitant, but Rochelle smiled back. "Alright then...Oh, I almost forgot! We got a call from advertising. They wanted us to drop off that information on the new headache reliever we finished last week. Do you want me to drop that off or...? I know how you feel about that place."

Carlos thought over this for a moment, but decided that he needed to get away for awhile, so he shook his head. "No, I'll take care of. I need to head up there anyways." He faked a smile again, gathering up some papers, and files. "Take care of them for me." With one last smile, Carlos left the room, the night before still on his mind.


	2. Cecil

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Carlos meets a very important person. And get's a new job! Good work Carlos!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A bit shorter than the last chapter, may have gotten a bit sciency in some places, though...So...Warnings ahead of time. Also, Bunch of OCs in terms of Carlos's new team of scientists. Don't expect too much with them.

StrexCorp Laboratories is organised by rank, top to bottom. So at the bottom you had public communications, security, and then the low ranked labs. As you got higher up, the labs got bigger and more important. Then you reach the offices, which are small and tightly packed. Things like communications, advertising, legal, and the like, with only a few workers or so in each. Most of that stuff would be handled in a different building, after all. Then, at the top, was Juan's office.

Carlos rode the elevator up to level 15, stepping out into a long hallway of offices. He walked past legal aid, finances, and a supply closet before he reached advertising, where he knocked before entering, if only to be courteous.

Advertising was made up of a small office area, with a couple of desks, computers, and printers, as well as a tower of filing cabinets, and one of the many televisions that adorned the building, broadcasting the news. Carlos called out a, "Hello?" Glancing around the room. "Lauren or uh...Anyone?"

"One second!" And unfamiliar voice called out from behind one of the filing cabinets. This voice was male, yet sort of high pitched for a male. It cracked slightly as it spoke, not the most befitting voice, though highly lyrical, which became evident as it spoke again. "Like, jus tone minute! I've got to...uh...Ow." There was a crash. Carlos watches as a pile of papers spread out across the floor and a few boxes followed after them.

"Are you okay?" Carlos called out, walking toward the crash sight.

"Uh...I think I hit my head. Ow." Carlos stepped behind the filing cabinets to see a man sprawled out on the floor, halfway lying between a storage closet and the office, papers piling around him in every direction.

"Here, let me help you." Carlos reached out to grab the man by his shoulders and pull him to his feet. Papers fell off his shoulders, though some scraps were still stuck to him haphazardly, a few sticking out of his hair. The man rubbed his head.

"Ugh...Thanks. That was totally the worst." He smiled. His smile was all lips and teeth, awkward and nervous. He bent down to pick up a pair of glasses that were lying among the mess of papers. "I'm Cecil, by the way. Cecil Palmer.:

Cecil Palmer was a tall, wiry man of about Carlo's age, with thick purple glasses and bright blonde hair that tended to be flippity floppity, and sort of stickity uppity, in a this way that way sort of way. His eyes were an indiscernible blueish colour, and his skin a very skinish colour. On this day, he was wearing a starch white shirt splattered with paint (or, more likely, toner) at the sleeves. Over this he wore a neon green waistcoat, and a bright yellow bow tie. Around his neck were six or seven different necklaces, which clashed oddly with his purple slacks. His shoes were shining and black, the most normal thing about his outfit. Carlos could see glittery blue socks just below where his slacks pulled up, and there was still paper sticking out of his hair. 

As he adjusted his glasses, Cecil smiled, looking up at Carlos. Then his smile faltered and his eyes grew wide, mouth falling open.

"Oh smiling god you're gorgeous..." He muttered. Carlos blushed, which seemed to signal Cecil that he had said that allowed, as he started babbling. "Oh, sorry, I didn't mean-well I mean, not that you're not hot, you totally are, but I just didn't know I-Well you know, just, vomit of the mouth! It's like I have no filter, really, and if I could, like, permanently stick a foot in my mouth I would! Maybe that's what Strex should invent next, a mouth filter because seriously when I see an attractive guy mind is all 'whoosh' and all sense is out the window! Heh, really it was an accident, and I'm babbling a lot aren't I I'll stop now...Sorry, again, really." Cecil averted his eyes. As aware of his logorrhea as he was, he didn't seem to know how to control it, along with the raging blush that adorned his face. 

Carlos blushed scarlet, as well, scratching the back of his neck, embarrassed. "It's fine, really...I'm, uh, Carlos. The head scientist from pharmaceuticals?" He holds out his hand, which Cecil shakes enthusiastically.

"Ooooh, you're a scientist. That is sooo cool! Are you here to do some science, like experiments or something? Can I help?!?!" Cecil looked so excited, Carlos couldn't help but chuckle.

"No, I just came to bring up a file of papers for a new medication we finished working on. One of my scientists said that someone called down to say they needed them? Isn't Lauren normally working up here?" Lauren Mallard was the head of advertisements, and the main reason Carlos never wanted to come up here. Not only was she one of the overly happy StrexCorp employees he feared, but she was also pretty creepy, almost overtly threatening, and often wrung out her fingers when she was angry. Carlos was convinced she has some bi-polar issues, but he wasn't going to hang around her long enough to find out.

"Ugh, oh yeah, her." Cecil said coldly, then seemed to correct himself, smiling to look Stex-approved. "Right, Lauren, my supervising director. She's got some big meeting with the higher ups. She almost always has a big meeting with the higher ups."

"How long have you been working here?" Carlos asked, thinking that Cecil looked mighty familiar. He was working under the presumption that if he had met Cecil before, he would have definitely remembered him, by the clothes alone more than anything.

"A couple months now. Mostly I'm in charge of doing stocks." He waves at the pile of papers. "Obviously, I'm not too good at it, right?" He smiles sheepishly.

"Eh, it's not too bad. Do you want some help?" Carlos offered. Cecil shook his head.

"Nah, you'll get in trouble if you help me. Better get back to work, too, you know. All this 'work with a smile' stuff Strex preaches. Oh, right, you should probably give me that paperwork."

"Right." Carlos pulled out the file of papers Rachelle gave him, handing them to Cecil. Cecil took the files gently, carefully as if they were precious, and placed them on a desk decorated with pictures of cats and many brightly coloured stickers. Carlos smiled at the sight.

"Well, I guess I'll be going..." Carlos trailed off, catching sight of the television.

"What are you looking- oh..."

On the screen was a new villain alert, sent out by the Smiling Gods. It showed the picture of the cape who saved Carlos the night before; the Voice. Cecil and Carlos watched, both looking surprised, and serious, as the newscaster started speaking.

"Breaking news, a new villain was spotted last night stealing from one of the containment units at StrexCorp Laboratories. Oooh, that's not very nice! Sources confirm that their powers seem to be of a 'controlling weird tentacles protruding from their back' type, which is rather new, I will admit. This villain is marked highly dangerous and if sighted you should remember to run to safety and alert StrexCorp immediately. Then we can contain this rude man! Authorities are also on the lookout for the stolen serum. If you find it, it would very much please Strex. Remember, the future is what you make of it! Just know that your supplies are limited. StrexCorp Synergists Incorporated! Remember; look around you, Strex, look inside you, Strex, go to sleep, Strex, believe in a smiling god! StrexCorp, it is everything! Tune in next to hear about the exciting new work regime for the upcoming week. but remember, citizens, you should not stop working just to watch the news! That would be silly, wouldn't it!" The announcer smiled brightly before the screen cut to a Strex commercial. 

Carlos unconsciously reached up to touch the cut on his neck. "I...I think I should get going." He said quickly. "See you around, Cecil." He waved and dashed out. Cecil watched him go, sighing in the sort of way one does when they are completely, unavoidably infatuated, but know they have no possible chance. 

-  
-  
-

Juan came, and found Carlos at noon, taking him to the fourteenth level which was almost solely committed to the top research lab. Entering the lab, Carlos was awed at the sheer size that this lab was. Almost a whole floor dedicated to science, and now Carlos was in charge of it. For a limited time, of course. The lab was a pristine white, with lines and lines of counters covered with equipment, some of which Carlos didn't even recognize. About ten scientists, or so were milling around the room, immediately looking up when Carlos and Juan entered. 

Juan smirked as he saw his brother gawking. "No need to let your draw drop like that, hermanito. We're trying to catch science, not flies."

Carlos glared at his brother, but Juan had already turned away.

"Attention all of you. This is Carlos, your new head scientist until further notice, replacing Dr. Sheppard who, as you know is, unfortunately, no longer with us." Juan pushed his brother forward. 

Carlos brushed his hair out of his face a few times before speaking. "I, uh, hello. I'm Carlos. I'll be charge of you for the next few weeks. Along with supervising, I will also be putting all my effort into finding out who killed the rest of your team and why. If you could please introduce yourselves, and describe your field of expertise, it would be much appreciated." A moment of silence as the room stared at Carlos. Carlos stared back, albeit much more nervously. He'd never been in control of so many people, and it scared him even more when he remember that this was only half of what the team used to be. 

Juan clapped his hands together with a bright smile, then patted Carlos on the shoulder in a friendly, though slightly harsh, sort of way. "Well, I'll leave you in his capable hands. Good luck, hermanito~!" Then Juan left with a jaunt in his steps, the last of his words left behind like a silent threat; everyone knew who Juan was, and if Carlos was his brother, they would be in a whole world of trouble if they stepped out of line.

Carlos almost wished Juan hadn't done that. He stood at the front of the room almost nervously before coughing into his hand and averting his eyes for a moment. Then he spoke.

"If you could all introduce yourselves in order of rank? Please?"

The first person who stood up was dark skinned and had black hair to their shoulders. They wore thick glasses, and a bright yellow sundress below their StrexCorp labcoat. 

"Doctor Seti Abadi, highest scientist in rank below you, sir. Specializing in genetics, and parahuman physiology."

Carlos nods. "Your expertise in parahuman physiology will be very helpful, I assure you. I expect you to give me an overview of your current research, and anything you deem important after introductions."

"Yes sir."

Following Seti was a woman with brilliantly dyed purple, and blue hair, who stood in a pair of high combat boots, and a pretty blue blouse. "Janine Sato, third in command, expert in chemistry. Just chemistry."

Carlos nodded. "Great to be working with you." 

The next to stand was a ginger haired man with a fantastic beard. "Willard Brooks, specializing in geology, seismology, and botany."

Carlos smiled. "That'll be helpful. I'm horrible with botany."

A man with blazing blue eyes and an easy smile. "Karl Falk. I'm a physicist. Some computer work, logistics, a bit of applied physics and mechanics. Great to meet you, Carlos." He winked, and Carlos blushed with a sort of 'ew' shiver running up his back. Karl kind of looked half his age.

"Right..."

The rest introduced themselves, standing one by one. It seemed like Juan had had a scientist for everything, though now that supply had diminished. When introductions were done, Carlos's next question was a bit more important.

"Who here knows the most about the deaths of your colleagues?" He asked. The room went silent. Slowly, Seti stood. 

"That would be me, I guess." They said, averting their gaze.

"Please, tell me everything."

Over the next hour, Seti outlined the whole situation, with pictures from StrexCorp officials of the bodies, and DNA samples, and everything. As far as Carlos figured, this is what had happened;

The night before, at about ten, twelve of the scientists working in this laboratory were brutally murdered. Most had slits in their necks, but most also included lacerations along the arms, bruises of an unrealistic size, and chunks of flesh ripped out of their legs and torso. This seemed unnecessary to Carlos, though. He concurred that the most likely reason for all the cuts was due to a want to be dramatic. Carlos ventured that most of the people were already dead before the lacerations, and mauling began in order for this to look like a bigger deal, to send a message. Some DNA scans, as well as microscopic looks at cell samples, showed an unnatural organic material that one scientist had found had similar genetic, and biological make-up to that of human finger nails. It was, at least, the same sort of material. Other tests had found dead tissue that did not belong to any of the deceased scientists, though resembled the sort of tissue found in those who suffer from gangrene. As far as Carlos could see, it seemed very obvious that the Librarians were the perpetrators. What he couldn't see was why exactly they would do it. As he explained to Juan, the Librarians are pretty honourable, even though they tended to leave carnage in their wake. So why exactly would they attack StrexCorp?

"What sort of experiments have you been running recently?" Carlos questioned Seti, shifting through the papers.

"Well, Juan had us working on a couple of projects. There was a new substance to better capture criminals; kind of like the containment foam most cities are using these days, but we've been trying to combine it with a power shut down component as well. Then there was a new A.I., I think Karl and Louise were mostly in charge of that, though...I guess Louise is gone now...And then there were a few others. I don't think they were that important, though. I think Janine knows a bit more about them, you should probably ask her." Seti started gathering up some papers, pushing their glasses up their nose. "If you'd excuse me, sir, I have to check up on some skin samples we got from a cape with shape shifting capabilities." 

Carlos nodded and Seti walked away. He then turned to his notes, pouring over them with a furrowed brow. He decided he'd need some time to go over this, and remembered that there was a parahuman database in the main, non-laboratory building based around StrexCorp, next to the Smiling Gods headquarters. He'd have to get permission, mostly likely from Juan. But he didn't see much of a problem with that. Putting Seti in charge of the lab, he said he'd see them tomorrow, and started for the elevator for the top floor. As he left, he heard wind of a new report being read off of the news. This is what the report said;

"This just in, Desert Bluffs; a fight broke out outside the Strexcorp Official Bank! It seems that Mistress and Automatronic, known heroes of the Smiling Gods, were seen defending out bank from Endemic, that odd villain we've never been able to identify except for that odd tan jacket he wears, and The Apache Tracker. Who's rude, and very mean. Both of them were very mean, and slowed down the work process! Rude! Sadly, it seems that both got away, though thankfully Mistress, and Automatronic were able to stop them from getting any important documents or money, but nevertheless, be o the look out for these two! Golly, look at the time?! Seems like lunch break we'll be starting soon. Remember, citizens, eat healthily, and efficiently in order to properly energize yourselves for a proper afternoon of working! This is Kevin, sending you to Ted for the upcoming weather! Remember; StrexCorp, believe in a smiling god! Goodbye all!"


	3. Kevin

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Carlos meets some very important people! Oh, and sleeps on a desk.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Haha...I haven't updated this in forever...Sorry. Most of this chapter was written before the last four or so episodes came out, so some characters may seem a little out-of-character. I challenge readers to try and figure out who everyone is.
> 
> Also I drew a picture of The Voice...http://macabredanse.tumblr.com/post/86748921789/working-on-a-superhero-night-vale-au-inspired

Carlos took the elevator to his brother's office. It wasn't really a long ride, though Carlos couldn't help but feel crammed in as several employees, both in lab coats, and out, stepped in at every stop. StrexCorp had a lot of employees, and they, apparently unlike Carlos, used the elevator frequently. 

"Hello, hello? Excuse me, sorry! Pardon there, friend! There we go! Top floor please!" A cheery and highly familiar voice wrangled their way into the elevator, settling in the back next to Carlos. "Hm, Juan? I was just going to see you!" The person said. Carlos looked around, wary that he is in the same room as his brother. Then he realized the person was talking to him.

Carlos blushed, shaking his head. "No, I'm not Juan. That would be my-oh..." He turned his head, catching sight of a person who looked quite a lot like the man he met in advertising, Cecil. Though different, highly familiar too. Ah, yes. This would be Kevin, the local newscaster. What did he wants with Juan?

"Hm? Oh now I see! You must be Caarrloos~!" Kevin rolled is letters with a slightly malicious, mostly lyrical lilt, grinning widely. His teeth looked quite sharp, to be honest. "Should have known, Juan doesn't wear glasses. And he brushes his hair more often. Though I must say, you are quite attractive! Very rugged!" His compliments had that sort of falseness used with copious amounts of malignant sarcasm. 

Not seeming to notice the malice, though, Carlos's blush deepened. Why did people keep complimenting him? "Uh...Thank you? You're Kevin, correct?"

Kevin was tall and gangly, and very familiar looking. He wore a starch white shirt and a bright yellow tie with a black waistcoat. His hair was brown and combed back in a very neat way, and his smile was like a shark's. Carlos took note of the official StrexCorp pin he worn on his lapel; golden and etched with the words 'Believe in a Smiling God!' Below that was a little pin of a microphone with the words 'Voice of Desert Bluffs' underneath. This would be the news announcer, then...The one everyone tended to talk about. Actually, now that Carlos was paying attention, he noticed how a lot of the suits in the elevator were staring at Carlos and this man, awed and dumbstruck. Oh. 

Kevin's smile broadened, if that was even possible. "That would be me! It's great to meet you Carlos!" He jumped forward, wrapping his arms around Carlos's neck in one of the weird hugs people do that are for some reason less platonic than hugging people around the chest area? I don't know, maybe it's just me. Carlos stood stock still, not very good with physical contact. Only when Kevin let go soon after did he realise that the lift had stopped at the top floor, ad was now empty except for them.

"Well, here we are. You're here to see your brother, right? Come on!" Kevin happily took Carlos's hand, almost dragging him out of the lift in a skipping-fashion.

Kevin didn't even bother to check with Juan's secretary, just skipped right past her and knocked 'Shave and a Hair Cut', not even waiting for an answer as he threw open the large oak doors. "Oh Juan~!" Kevin trilled.

Juan's office was large and simple; simple in that way that it was obviously expensive and very Juan Carlos, but also obviously efficient, and very Strex. There was a desk, a very nice desk, in the middle of a room that was surrounded by book shelves. Behind him was a wall-to-wall window that overlooked the city. Carlos knew that it was tinted, so no one could look in. There were several doors in the room, one of the labeled 'Bed', another 'Lab'. Carlos had, of course, been up here a few times before, so wasn't very impressed. He was, however, very jealous of his brother getting a personal lab along with the personal research team Carlos was currently investigating for him. It was a sort of childish jealousy; 'why does he get three cookies while I get socks?' sort of jealousy.

He watched as Kevin ran toward Juan's desk. Juan hardly looked up from his work as Kevin wrapped his arms around the man, nuzzling his head against Juan's shoulder. "Hello Kevin." Carlos's brother did not look up from his work, reaching up a single hand to pat the man on the head fondly.

"Can to see you during my lunch break! Guess who I met in the elevator? Alright, I'll tell you-Your brother!" Kevin squealed happily. Carlos took this as the opportune moment to approach Juan's desk. His brother looked up, quite surprised in a sort of angry-shocked fashion.

"Oh, hello Carlos." He said, not so pleasantly.

"Juan." Carlos replied curtly.

"Oh, you're brother is just the cutest thing! He's all scruffy!" Kevin chittered, lifting his head up to beam at Carlos, his smile all teeth.

"Oh really?" Juan mused, sounding both annoyed and miserable. "Would you rather date him than me?" He sounded like he was joking, and also seething.

Kevin jumped a little, clinging harder to Juan. "Oh no! Never! No offense Carlos, but I just love Juan to the bones and beyond!" He went back to nuzzling. Juan chuckled. 

Carlos half smiled. "It's fine Kevin. Look, Juan, this really isn't a social call. I need access to the parahuman archives over at Strex headquarters. It has to do with that case you put me on..." 

Juan thought about this for a little. "That should be fine. I'll call ahead, see if I can get you an escort."

"An escort? But it's just down the street...?"

"Well, you can't expect me to let mi hermanito wander the streets of Desert Bluffs alone when some maniacs just attacked the bank. How ruthless do you think I am, Carlos?" Juan faux pouted. Kevin didn't seem to notice. 

"Alright then...When can I expect to leave?"

"Soon, I'd assume. I'll call for a car." He looked up at Kevin, pecking him on the lips. "Kevin, Cariño, I think I'll have to send you along in the car with Carlos." Kevin began to frown, but Juan poked him on the nose. "None of that. I've got a lot of work to do. This will be more efficient. Besides, you have to get back to work soon, don't you?"

Kevin nodded. "But Juaaaaaan, you promised we'd eat together." He whined.

"How about this, tonight we'll have dinner?"

"You have a meeting."

"After that."

Kevin nodded happily. "Okay!"

"I'll call a car. You two can wait downstairs. Te amo." Juan kissed Kevin again, this time deeper and longer. Carlos glanced away, blushing heavily.

When they separated, Kevin skipped over to Carlos with a giggle, grabbing him by the arm. "Come on Carlos! Bye Juan, love you!~"

-  
-  
-

Downstairs, Kevin and Carlos waited by the door, Kevin chatting happily with Vanessa while Carlos waited patiently, hands behind his back. 

"Oh, it's been soooo long Vanessa, I should really come see you more often!" Kevin beamed, resting his head in his hands. "Golly, it's so swell to talk to you again!"

Vanessa smiled. "Sure is, Kevin. We'll have to do lunch, sometime. Maybe next mandated day off?"

"Oh yes! Of course!"

Carlos tuned out their conversation, watching the door anxiously with a want to leave as soon as possible, mostly because he really wanted to get away from his brother's peppy boyfriend. Seconds ticked by when he heard a delighted squeal and the sound of a body hitting the floor. That's when Carlos finally looked back at Kevin, who was then lying on the ground atop a very similar looking person.

"Cecil! I forgot you worked here! How's my darling little friend?!" Kevin crooned, dark eyes gleaming like a child in a toy barn.

Cecil struggled under the weight of Kevin, who didn't seem to notice. "Oh, just wonderful, Kevin. Now could you get off of me?" Cecil grumbled, pushing at the man to try and pull him off.

"Oh, of course, Cece! Let me help you there!" Kevin rolled off of the gangly man then reached out a hand to tug Cecil to his feet.

"Don't call me that..." Cecil mumbled. He brushed imaginary dirt off his trousers before looking grumpily at Kevin.

"But Cece!" Kevin whined, tugging on the mans arm.

"It's Ce...cil..." Cecil sort of trailed off, catching sight of Carlos standing only a few steps behind Kevin. "H-hello Carlos..." He stuttered out, a scarlet blush crawling across his face.

"Cecil. Nice to see you again." Carlos greeted politely.

"Cecil...You know Carlos?" Kevin stared at Cecil in an awe-like way.

"Uh, yeah. A little." Cecil said nervously. He scratched the back of his neck in that way that people do. Carlos felt his face heat up and brushed at it with his hand, as if he could wipe the blush away. 

"We met this morning..." He offered.

"Oh, Carlos and I just met today, too! Isn't that just a scrumptious coincidence? He's soo handsome, isn't he Cecil?" Kevin crooned, batting his eyelashes.

"Yes, uh, very handsome...I uh, gotta go Kevin. You know, work and all. ByeCarlosseeouaroundgoshIloveyourhairfuckdidIjustsaythatalouddammit!" Cecil blurted out before dashing off.

Kevin giggled. "Oh, that Cece! Well, come on Carlos. Our car is here!"

Carlos watched Cecil go, blush still evident on his features. Kevin practically pulled him out of the building, skipping into the car, oblivious. 

-  
-  
-

The car dropped Carlos off at Strex Headquarters, Kevin hugging him tightly before the car then speeded off to take him to the television station close by. Carlos entered the building cautiously, squinting as he entered the florescent light filled building.

Heads turned as he entered, workers in suits sticking up their noses at Carlos's messy appearance. Unlike those at Strex Labs, who didn't dare sneer at him to his face, no one here seemed to pick of the resemblance Carlos held to his brother. He let himself shrink, avoiding eye contact with the glaring suits as he walked toward one of the many golden elevators that adorned the headquarters. As the archives were downstairs, this elevator was empty. It seemed there weren't many who favoured the lower levels of Strex Headquarters. Carlos almost felt relieved at this, no more judgmental stares.

When the elevator stopped, Carlos stepped out into a long, concrete hallway. At the end was a large metal door with a sensor next to it. Juan had called ahead, so Carlos assumed he had access, walking towards the door and swiping his card. A light went green and the door slowly opened to reveal a room packed high with shelves and shelves of boxes. There seemed to be no end to the room, which almost sparkled with it's cleanliness. It was dark, though, only synthetic white-light seeping through dim lights along the ceiling. In the distance, Carlos could see a spot of yellow light, glowing from the back of the archives, but there was no way to see the source form this distance.

Warily, Carlos called out to the room. "Hello? Anyone here?" His voice echoed. Following his voice was the sound of shoes hitting the floor. A woman poked her head out from behind on of the shelves. Her hair was pulled up into a tight bun and she peered at Carlos, scrutinizing him. 

"Are you Carlos?" She asked in a very quiet voice.

Carlos nodded. "Uh, yes. Juan sent me here?"

The woman nodded. "I'll show you how the system works." She waved him through the shelves. "Down there is where we organize heroes. Up here we have villains. All un-categorized are at the end of the hall. They're in alphabetical order by groups. Those few who are solo are at the end. General parahuman info is stored over there. If you need any help, just call." Then, almost as soon as she appeared, the woman was gone. 

Carlos started with the Librarians file, sitting down on the floor and flipping through the classifications. The beginning read as follows:

Leader: Walpole  
Name: unknown  
Power: Enhanced strength, ability to extend nails into long talons, much like that of a cat, though sharper and stronger. Claws have the strength to cut through steel. Hypothesized to have some night vision capabilities.  
Power Classification: Brute/changer

Carlos remembered the classification of capes. It hadn't concerned him in the past, but there was always that little rhyme they taught in schools;

Mover, Shaker,  
Brute and Breaker,  
Master, Tinker,  
Blaster and Thinker,  
Striker and Changer,  
Trump and Stranger

As far as he could tell, there was supposed to be a number following the power level. In these documents, said numbers were missing. he continued reading.

Threat Level: Medium. Know to be highly feral and is defined with a taste for blood. Do not approach if seen. Not considered a high class threat due to inability to commit crime without due moral reasoning. Believed to be an existing mental side effect of their power. 

There was a picture below this description, blurry and with an odd quality that suggested it had been taken quite a long time ago. It showed the figure of a woman dressed in a suit of hawk feathers, her face obscured by a long bird's mask that resembled more of a skull than a bird. Her hands were free of any sort of cover, marred and scarred a sickish red and black, nails unsheathed to about a foot of length, resembling that of knives, but curled and a nauseating yellow colour. Blood stained her suit in odd places, mostly her hair, which was pulled back into a high bun, though pieces of hair fell out occasionally in rat's nest fashion. Carlos could see below her mask that she was grinning. 

Below the picture was a detailed categorization of every crime Walpole was known/suspected to have committed. Over fifty counts of murder, eleven counts of arson, numerous counts of robbery, assault, the like. Carlos grimaced. He'd never really been the type to pay attention to this cape stuff, he never really knew how gruesome it could get.  
there was more writing, but he skipped it over and went to the next page. Melville. 

Member: Melville  
Name: Unknown  
Family: Hawthorne  
Power: Ability to create illusions of environment, solid in form but unable to inflict direct harm. Illusions are not found to move or create sound other than that which is below them. Assumed that power allows Melville to create allusions solid enough to be used as bridges or ladders. Estimated to have an immediate range.  
Power Classification: Master  
Threat Level: Moderate. Power is not harmful, but can cause serious mental strain. Melville is know to be highly aware of people,s greatest fears, laying of of their psychologic state. May be a minor Thinker, more research necessary. 

There was no picture of Melville, but there was a sketch of a man in a a long, tattered cloak, looking almost like a ratty magician. Below spoke of his crimes, but it was mostly the general stiff. Low murder rate, though, with more of an accomplice standing. 

A post it note was stuck to the bottom of the page. Info in archive about familial powers, see section C. Carlos turned the page. Hawthorne. 

Member: Hawthorne  
Name: Unknown  
Family: Melville  
Power: Able to create solid, movable illusions. U like Melville, Hawthorne's power can create illusions of creatures, humans, and other living beings. Limited only by imagination.Can only create five or so at a time. Not exactly harmful, lacking strength. Immediate range; only works within sight.  
Power Classification: Master  
Threat Level: Moderate

Carlos saw no picture for Hawthorne. He skipped over the crime information and the rest of the document. One more; Shelley.

Member: Shelley  
Name: Unknown  
Family: Suspected to be related to Walpole  
Power: Body does not die. Tissue if found to be perfectly functioning until leaving contact with Shelley's body. Known to have accelerated strength and senses.  
Power Classification: Brute/Striker  
Threat Level: Moderate. Hesitant to attack and not able to go all out. 

There was a picture of Shelley. Carlos was shocked to find she looked about ten. She wore a tattered dress and had pale blonde hair, strangely and tangled. Her eyes were watery, a glassy blue, and her skin was caked with dirt, stitches, and cuts. She looked like a drowned rat. Her face was not covered, but it was so scarred and stitched it was unrecognisable. In a past life, she may have looked pretty.

The end of the file and lists of crimes and graphs with rates scribbled on them. Carlos turned back to Melville's page to read the note again. Section C....

"Need help?" Carlos jumped as the the woman from earlier, appeared at his shoulder. 

"I uh...Yes, actually. I'm trying to find Section C, information on familial powers?" Carlos said warily, still jostled by the sudden arrival.

The woman smiled. "Of course, this way." They lead him to section C, flitting through the bookshelves till they pulled out a file and handed it to Carlos. Carlos opens te file. He skimmed, decided this was the right sort of document, and looked up to thank the woman only to realise she is gone. Weird... 

Carlos opened the file. The first document was an overview on parahuman relations to genetics. According to the document, offspring of cape parents tended to have easier and quicker trigger events...Wait, what? Carlos, not in the loop (like many), did not know what a trigger event was. He made a note. So, easier trigger events, and similar powers. This was followed by pages and pages of examples. The first was New Wave, a group of heroes up east, in a town called Brockton Bay, which most knew to have high parahuman activity. Apparently, the group had completely unmasked wherein it was learned the group itself was made up of two cape families. Within the families, all had similar powers, mostly flight and enhanced abilities. 

Carlos flipped through the file some more. Heartbreaker. An emotion manipulator stationed in Canada who had a harem of concubines, which gave him and abundance of children. Apparently those that were known to have powers had powers similar to their father. 

Another example was familiar. The names of Melville and Hawthorne stood out on the paper. Below was 'parent: Mania', a name Carlos did not recognise. He made a note, then read through the file. Apparently the fact that the two were twins had lead to an in-depth study on them. Their powers were so miraculously similiar and complimented eachother's so well that they apparently had a rather sizable number on their heads funded by the StrexCorp scientific community. Carlos took notes. He went to go look for more, files walking along the shelves, searching for something about 'trigger events'.

He worked for a dangerous amount of hours. His head hit the desk he sat at around three in the morning, papers cushioning him as he passed out.

-  
-  
-

In the morning, Carlos was awoken by the feeling of someone hitting him on the back of the head by a book. "Wake up!" A feminine voice said, hitting him one more time for good measure.

"What...?" Carlos raised his head groggily, blinking through his sleepy haze as he examined his surroundings. Oh, he was in the archives... "Did I fall asleep here?" He murmurs blearily, rubbing at his eyes.

"Apparently." The woman says, throwing her book-weapon down onto the desk. "Someone's sending an escort to come get you in about..." They checked their watch. "Ten minutes, so i'd gather up all your papers and march out."

"A...Alright..." Carlos yawned. "But first can I-Oh..." The woman was already gone. In a few more seconds, Carlos gathered up his papers, shoving them in his bag before running to the elevator, trying to fix his hair as he stepped out into the morning light of the lobby. 

-  
-  
-

Carlos had expected an escort. Juan, though not the best brother, always seemed quite over-protective of him in an almost loving way. At least, Carlos assumed so, but he also thought that maybe Juan just did these sort of things for himself. Maybe he saw Carlos as a liability? What Carlos wasn't expecting was that by 'escort', Juan meant a member of the Smiling Gods, who was waiting for Carlos in the lobby, thumbing through a magazine.

"Hello there friend! You wouldn't happen to be Carlos, Juan's brother, would you?" A peppy, somewhat recognizable voice said.

And there before Carlos stood a man clad in orange, and yellow, with the StrexCorp logo emblazoned on his chest in front of a blazing sun. He wore a mask that half mimicked that same sun itself, the curly bits curving back over his head, presumably to protect his noggin better. His costume seemed to be almost like a suit of armour, with plating over the chest, shoulders, and legs. Yet the plating looked less metal, and more of a plastic compound. It was not flat, but more made up of interlocking, triangular scales. Carlos recalled an animal with similar scaling, a pangolin. In nature, such scales were used to ward off insects from getting to the sensitive parts of the body. It was assumed that for this man, the scales were to keep sand out. For, after all, it was obvious to Carlos who this man was; Captain Strex, leader of the Smiling Gods. Wielder of sand. 

"That would be me." Carlos nodded, almost dumbstruck. 

"Why the low jaw?" Captain Strex smiles, tipping their head to the side. 

"...Honestly not expecting this...Juan set this up?" 

The man nods. "Mmhm! It was sort of a favour."

"Right..."

"Well, we better get going! By the way, your hair is fantastic!" Captain Strex, smiling god that was such a stupid name, smiled, clapping a gloved hand on Carlos's back.

"Uh, thanks..." Carlos blushed, halfway disturbed by this man, half flattered. Honestly, anyone connected to his brother tended to unnerve him. But hey, family is family, right?

"Anytime! We're going to StrexCorp Head, right?" Carlos nods. "Alrighty then! Hold on tight Carlos!" Carlos hardly had anytime to react before a hand wrapped around his waist, holding securely to both his body as well as parts of his labcoat, as if to dig the fingers in. Then there was a vast wind, and sand was swirling around them, quickly interlocking in front of them. 

"What are you-" Captain Strex took a step forward, and then they were on the interlock sand and steadily rising off the ground. Carlos clung to the man, suddenly aware of an acute fear of height he did not know he had. They rose and rose, sand moving around them in an almost vortex like fashion, creating a descent shield. Then they zipped forward, moving like a leaf on the wind.

"How am I supposed to escort you if we walk! Much more efficient this way!" The hero shouted over the wind, fingers digging just a bit tighter into Carlos in an almost affectionate way. "At this rate we'll be at the labs in a few minutes. You can even see them from here!" Captain Strex didn't point, but he did nod his head in the direction they were going. Carlos could see the glittering tower that was StrexCorp Synergists Inc.'s main headquarters slowly disappearing in the distance, replaced by the less-glamorous StrexCorp Laboratories. Though as he looked, his head got a bit dizzy, his face growing just a lil green, his vision contorting into something out of a surrealist painting. Okay, no more looking down for Carlos...He clings tighter, just in case. "Don't worry friend! Even if you fell, I would catch you!" Captain Strex assured.

"Very reassuring." Carlos mumbled, though of course no one heard him. 

Then the hero began to slow down, and Carlos furrowed his brow, noticing they really we're that close to the labs yet. Captain Strex put two fingers to his ear, and started nodding his head, and speaking to someone who was not Carlos and was not there.

"Hmm, yes? What is it? Oh...That's not very good...Do I have too? But I've got Caaarlos with me!...I know...Well of course I care about Strex, why would you say such a thing!?! All other considerations secondary?...Okay. But Juan's not gonna be very happy about this!" He had seemed to have hung up, but Carlos became even more confused when they started moving in the wrong direction. "Change of plans, Carlos. We have a problem."

"Wait, what?"

-  
-  
-

Captain Strex slowed them down in front of a group of Strex Officers, who had blocked off part of the road with partitions that cheerfully declared 'Everything is Fine! Back to work!' He turned to one of the officer's, smiling as if nothing was wrong.

"Hello sir! We're just passing through!" The officer seemed unperturbed, letting the two past with a wave and a smile. Captain Strex reached two fingers up to his ear again, not stopping as he spoke.

"Is Sunspot in position?...On her way?...Well, you know we'll need her for this. Where is the enemy position? Oh, and who am I dealing with, friend?!?...Wait, again? Ooooh, they've been not very nice, haven't they!?! Reminder, I still have Carlos with me! Use him, how?...Alright friend!" Captain Strex turned to Carlos with another huge smile. "I've been told you have to come with me, Mr. Scientist! Top priority following the attack, apparently. I can see why, naturally; you are so important, after all!" Carlos stared at Captain Strex, dumbfounded. "Wait, I'm going into the thick of a cape battle? Is that really safe?"

"Nope!" The hero said cheerfully. "But don't worry, we've got some of our best on hand right now. We can protect you!"

"Who are you fighting...?" If Carlos was going to be in major danger, he at least wanted to know who was potentially going to kill him.

"It seems some solo villains have been teaming up in order to cause more trouble. You probably heard about the attack at the bank about, yesterday? Turns out Endemic has already started another attack on StrexCorp, this time in the downtown residential area. Rude! We got word that The Voice, and some members of the Dog Park were sighted as well. But don't worry!"

Carlos organs churned inside him like angry butter at the mention of the Dog Park. Following that, his heart did this weird spastic thing at the mention of The Voice, the man who saved him, but was also apparently not so much a hero as Carlos thought. C'est la vie...

"Ah, here comes Sunspot! This way Carlos!" Captain Strex took Carlos's hand, and practically dragged him into an alley where a woman stood. 

She too wore the StrexCorp symbol, but hers was located on a helmet that obscured sight of her upper face. Carlos spotted a few locks of curled brown hair peeking out from the helmet. Besides that, she wore a fully body suit made of less of a spandex material like many heroes seemed to wear, and more of something think and plastic looking. Carlos assumed it was fireproof. She was decked out in yellow, red, and orange, with small flames painted onto her suit, spiraling around her legs and arms. Her smile was as blazing as the sun.

"We've got trouble Captain! Madame just made an appearance alongside The Voice. And I just got word that Apache was sighted close by. They've got hostages. Isn't that just rude?" For some reason, Sunspot's voice made Carlos's stomach curdle. It sounded so nauseatingly familiar. 

"Well, that's not very good! We'll have to take care of that, now won't we? Now, Sunspot, can you please go after try and take care of Endemic ? His insects don't do too good with your fire. And I'll take care of Voicey. After all, he does have that darling serum we need. I just called for Mistress to take care of Madame, so she's on her way. And Auto should do just fine with Apache. If we need any more help, Double's on standby." The Captain then turned to Carlos with bright eyes. "You can come with me! It will be fun!"

Carlos frowned. "Isn't that a bit unsafe? It's not like I'm a cape."

"Ah, but you're a scientist! Juan says scientists are more powerful than capes, if you can believe it! And I'll be there to protect you!"

"Besides," Sunspot pipes in, "The Smiling Gods would never let you get hurt!"

The captain's smile dimmed, expression darkening. "No one asked for your opinion, Sunspot." He was still smiling that unnatural Strex smile, naturally, but his expression screamed murder.  
"Of course, Captain." Sunspot seemed to grit her teeth, achingly spitting out their words as they continued to smile. 

The captain clapped his hands together, smiling more genuinely this time. "Well, we best get to work!" He practically sang. "Come Carlos!" 

Carlos followed the captain, wondering just what he had got himself into.


	4. Cape Fight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Carlos witnesses his first cape fight and...Well things sort of go wrong.

As they approached the fight, Carlos caught sight of something he'd only ever seen on television. There he stood, standing next to the leader of the greatest cape team in Desert Bluffs, directly in the midst of a cape battle. 

Of all the sorts of battles in the world, this is the stupidest sort of battle to put yourself in the middle of. Carlos watched as a swarm of flies flew after one of the StrexCorp's Cape Force officers, the person trying to fight back with a pistol and a net. Behind them stood a group of hooded figures, some holding long weapons, others shrouded in darkness or rain or some other oddity. He flinches, a shiver running up his spine as the Captain swiftly leads him down the street, throwing up sand walls to block any stray shots that swam towards them. 

StrexCorp's force was running at top shape. There were long lines of their officers, standing with their Strex-issued anti-cape gel guns in their nice, orderly lines. Of course, like most cape fights Carlos had seen, these were quickly scattered, followed by the sort of chaos that draws panic and fear into each and every person in existence. Flies buzzed around the air in great, black swarms, an obvious attack by Endemic, who Carlos could see standing on the top of a tall building, trench coat flying behind him as a glowing Sunspot could be seen running up behind him, arms outstretched in a fiery blaze. In the next moment, the Captain is pulling him behind buildings and through alleys. He witnesses a man maliced by a cape covered in sharp spikes as the run past one dark alley, another holding a woman with bright, glowing eyes, screaming as a group of people cower before her. 

A man dressed in, or more so made of, metal dashed past them, saluting Captain Strex as he barreled into a building. A group of people are evacuated from the area as a large, projected dinosaur goes running down one street, screeching and roaring in an angry manner. Carlos only had seconds to process this before he was thrown into another situation, but the captain just kept leading him somewhere. Then he was in a large building, and everything was pitch dark. 

"Ew..." The captain muttered. "It's so...Murky in here...Let me turn on a light, Carlos!" He chirped, fooling around with his suit for a moment before it lit up like a Christmas tree, each scale bright and sparkling. He was basically wearing a giant night-light. Captian Strex sighed in relief. "Much better! Now...Where is that darling Voicey?" He took Carlos's hand, painfully tight, pulling him through the room.

With the new light, Carlos could make out large stacks of boxes and metal shelving units. They appeared to be in a warehouse, which, going along with its cliche manner, was quite a stupid place to confront a cape. Captain Strex seemed to know what he was doing, though, as he lead Carlos through the shelves, keeping a painfully tight grip on his hand.

It actually seemed like a very likely place to find the Voice. Carlos remembered seeing him in the alleyway, not too long ago, the way his eyes seemed to glow beneath his mask and cowl, how he was almost unseeable in the dark of the night. Why he would be here specifically, though, escaped Carlos completely. It didn't make very much sense to him.

"Ooooh Voicey~" The Captain sang, practically skipping as he dragged Carlos around the building. "I don't like playing hide and seek~ Come out, Voicey~"

"Shut up." A voice hissed, booming and haunting, from the darkness. Carlos can't help but shiver at the sound of the familiar voice. 

The Captain beamed. "There you are~" He turned, bringing Carlos with him as they looked to see a figure crouching on one of the shelves. He was almost invisible, the light coming from the Captain too far away to touch him. His eyes were the only thing Carlos see, if he didn't count the occasional flick of a dark appendage.

"Where's our serum, Voicey?" The Captain trills. 

"Can you not call me that?" The Voice almost sounded annoyed, his deep bass of a voice switching up an octave. 

The Captain merely laughs, malice in the back of his chortle. "Why would I do that, Voicey? After all, it is your name."

"As much as Captain Strex is your name..." The figure muttered. He seems to to shake his head, as if to shake away the informality of the conversation. "Either way, I'm most definitely not giving you back your serum."

"Why not?" The Captain almost seemed to pout, giving Carlos an odd sense of de ja veux. 

"Because it's not yours. You don't even deserve it." The Voice's tone slides into something darker, something that starts resounding off the walls. Carlos remembered the night in the alley, the hooded figures seeming to stand and walk away without argument. The same voice was used, the commanding, yet beautiful tone. "You should turn around, and leave us alone. Go back to your headquarters, and leave us too our business." 

The Captain laughed, but Carlos couldn't hear the words he said. His head seemed to be pounding, a deep fog settling over his eyes and ears. All he could hear was the intonations of The Voice. He felt the sudden urge to turn around and leave the warehouse without complaint. And with the conversation the two capes seemed to be trapped in, The Captain didn't even seem to notice as Carlos slipped out of his grip and started walking away. Somewhere in the distance, he hear someone shouting his name, but he didn't care. All he cared about was the words, circling through his head as walked through the warehouse. Turn around, go back to headquarters, leave them alone. He'd do that, if only for such a voice. Such a lovely, lovely voice. 

Imagine his surprise when he suddenly feels a searing pain in his skull and falls to the ground, his brain shutting down as he goes unconscious. Far away, two capes are two busy arguing to here the sound of the scientist being dragged off.  
-  
-  
-

Carlos slowly awakens to a dark room. No, not dark, hidden. He groans, feeling a significant pounding coming from the back of his head, a deep drumming, like a tiny person was whamming a hammer against his skull. Someone had did a number to him, he knew. He tried to stretch, but immediately finds his wrists tied up, and doesn't even need to try and move again to realise his legs and torso were in the same predicament. Carlos knew there was a word for that...Knowing where his body is in space without looking or moving, in this case, pressed up against some chair legs, tied tight.

"Proprioception..." He blurted out, hearing his voice echo in an empty room.

"What?" A rough, angry voice asked, making Carlos jump in his seat. "You say something, scientist?" The voice barked.

"Proprioception...Knowing where your limbs are in space without looking at them or moving them...It's one of the nine senses...." He nervously rambled, a bad habit he had developed over the years. "I was just noting that I knew I was tied up without moving my legs...It's your ability to be aware of where your body is without having to physically observe your body...I couldn't remember the word, and so I was thinking about it and-"

Carlos was cut off by the gruff voice. "Slow down, I wasn't asking for that much. Don't make me regret not gagging you." He said. Carlos winced, though that doesn't really matter as he was still blindfolded.

"Sorry...Would it be okay if I asked where I am?" 

The man snorts. "You're rather odd for someone who is tied up and blindfolded. Sure, you can ask, but it's not like I'm going to give you an answer."

"Well...Why was I taken in the first place? If it was information or the like, wouldn't I need to know what you want?"

"It's not like you don't know why we want you." The man laughs. "How pompous could you be?"

Carlos furrowed his brow, deciding to go quiet. The scientist was beginning to notice how quickly his life was changing. One night he gets attacked by a group of hooded figures who want to sell his various body parts and organs on the black market, the next he suddenly is given a new job by the one family member he least expected to even care about him at all, and now he's sitting in a chair, tied up, and wondering where the hell he was. Unfortunately, it's not several agonizingly boring minutes that his questions were answered. Somewhere in the distance, a door opened. 

"Calvary?" A voice, somewhat familiar, called from across the room. "You said you had something for me to see?"

The person who had been snarkily talk to Carlos earlier, stood, the sound of a chair scrapping echoing around the room. From this, Carlos discerned the room must be rather large and empty, with probably concrete walls, as those tend to reflect sound the best, in his experience. 

Oh right, his life was probably at risk here. 

"Sir!" The rough voice said, sounding much happier and less threatening when speaking to this new arrival. 

"What is it?" A few steps move toward Carlos and he felt his heart rate speed up. Was it another hooded figure? Had they captured him? Or was it worse? The Pack? The Librarians? He inwardly shivered at the idea that he was left at the hands of a cape gang...Again. 

"Some members of the Dog Park brought in this guy they took, says he's really important. And he is! Just wait till you see!" The man sounded like an eager puppy. 

"You could just tell me?" The voice was smooth, and deep, but Carlos's mind was running too rampant to realise how familiar it was.

"Alright...Spoil sport. It's the CEO of StrexCorp Labs, that Juan guy." 

Everything all of a sudden made sense. Carlos heard those words and understood exactly what happened. But before he could even open his mouth, footsteps from across the room came sprinting to the chair, a rather horrible and angry screech admitted from the person to blame. Inhuman and utterly terrifying.

He tries to open his lips, to tell them that he's not Juan, but he's cut off from a voice shouting, "You idiot!" A loud slap rang across the room, a grunt being sounded from the rough voiced man.

"I don't understand..." The man began, but seemingly noticed the other wasn't listening, for Carlos could feel himself being swiftly untied, as a soft, melodious voice apologised to him softly, over and over. "I'm so sorry Carlos. This shouldn't have happened. I'm so sorry. Sorry..." Carlos heard the voice over and over as it continued to apologise till he was all untied. The last thing to be removed was the blindfold.

As Carlos's sight returned to him, lights dancing in his eyes as they adjusted to the lack of darkness in the dim room, he caught sight of a deep purple cowl, and black mask, a worried expression.

"The...The Voice?" He whispered.

The masked man smiled softly, almost fondly, starting to say "I'm glad you're al-" Only for him to be cut off with Carlos screaming in surprise and terror, falling onto the floor, his head hitting the ground, knocking him unconscious for the second time that day. If he didn't have a concussion by now, I would be worried.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Who's Calvary? Do you know? Do I know? Maybe we'll never know~


	5. Janice

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Carlos most definitely has a concussion. And has no idea were he is.

This time, when Carlos awoke, he was lying on something soft and warm. His head was blazing with pain, but thankfully he was not tied up. He slid his eyes open, sighing in relief when he noticed the room he was in was dim, as he was sure a bright room would hurt like knife in the skull. As he slowly adjusted through the pain, he observed the room. The walls where sterile white, as were the tiled floors. He was apparently in some sort of infirmary, as his bed was one of few in the small, sterile room. The only other occupied bed, though, was farther down. Without his glasses, it was hard to see, but there was most definitely a small body in that bed. A child. 

He shivered, remembering the pictures of the small, rotting girl from the Librarians. 

Was that who captured him? The Librarians?

No, he didn't expect a warm bed for his recovery from them. Then again, the two illusionists he had read about...Was this an illusion? He squinted, peering at the other bed.

His fellow patient, (prisoner?) was a small girl, no older than ten. Her hair was splayed out around her, her body thin, her chest slowly rising and falling. Something, maybe a drip, was connected to her arm. There was a wheelchair next to her bed. Maybe she's...He didn't want to think about it.

Glasses. Carlos needed glasses. He glances around the room, but it didn't seem like he was going to have much home in the dark, with everything looking so blurry. Slowly, he swung his legs over the side of the bed, planting them firmly on the ground as he tried to stand, his legs shaking with the effort. He feels his head swim, everything suddenly blurrier as he stabilizes. He took a step forward, and found himself unable to take another step.

It was not the nausea that stopped him, though, it was his arm. As he tried to move forward, he found it yanked back, his wrist straining as he tried to move it. It was stuck, seemingly handcuffed to the bed. Yet, there was no handcuff. He touches his wrist, not feeling anything there, yet as he tries to move his hand away, he feels a dull pain as it is yanked back. What? 

But before he can investigate further, his head stopped him from doing anything much. He doubled over, vomiting onto the floor as the nausea consumed him, falling back onto the bed, curling up in pain. Oh his head...He groaned,  
flinching at the pain that radiated from his own bodily sound. 

He laid there for what seemed like hours, though it was, in actuality only ten or twenty minutes. If he wasn't in so much pain, he would be repulsed from the smell of his own vomit from the floor, but in pain the body tends to ignore 'unimportant' sense, like smell, in favour of treating his massive migraine. He did not expect the sound of footsteps next to the bed, knowing the door did not open. Was it the girl in the bed? No, the steps sounded booted, and he didn't think that little girl was wearing shoes. No, it was someone else. 

He tensed, all of his muscles seizing up. But a cool, soft hand was set on his forehead, and he couldn't help but admit it felt good, like it was cooling his pained head. A quiet voice broke the silence of the room. Carlos flinched.

"No fever. Likely only a concussion. You're lucky, Carlos. It could have been much worse with how much your head has been hit in the last few hours."

A sound, like wind whipping softly through the trees, before something is placed next to his head. "It's just Motrin. Unopened. Never used." The sound again. A water bottle is placed next to the first object. "Water, for the pills. The dose should be two."

Carlos stares at the bottle of generic Ibuprofen. As wary and reluctant as he was, he slowly reached for the bottle, fumbling to get it open before pouring four pills into his hand, downing them before some water followed. He sighed, curling up more in on himself. 

"I'll leave you alone...Maybe find a mop." The voice said before the whispering sound returns and in one step, she is gone. 

Carlos's stomach churned, disagreeing with the pills he downed. It probably wasn't best to down four pills of ibuprofen right after you had vomited what little your stomach had ingested in that last twenty four hours. Now that he thinks about it, Carlos was achingly hungry. He groaned and curled as much in on himself as he could, deciding to drink the rest of the water bottle that was given to him, for at least he would be hydrated. 

Eventually, he heard the whispery sound, footsteps beside him. This time, he doesn't jump, merely listens to the sound of his vomit being mopped up, eyes closed, as if he could block out the pain with more sleep, or unconsciousness. As irrational as it was, a coma is less painful than a migraine. 

He doesn't even tense as the woman leaves again, the smell of stomach acid, mucus, and digested food replaced by the smell of chemical citrus, which, though cloying, was a much better improvement then the vomit. 

Carlos let himself relax, his body going limp as the pain slowly starts to dissipate, if only a little. He decided that maybe, if he let his guard down, he'd fall into a blissful, painless sleep. How naive concussions make us. Yet, he relaxed, tenseness gone from his muscles, each muscle taking the time to calm down.

The door opened. The relaxation was immediately gone as Carlos flinched, body going as solid as a rock. He kept his eyes shut, pretending to be asleep. Footsteps, heavy, but soft, walked towards Carlos. He felt a blanket be pulled over him, gently tucked at his collar. The empty water bottle is removed, as well as the bottle of pills. He had to stop himself from giving away his consciousness as a hand slides against his hair, almost tenderly brushing against his forehead. 

Then, the footsteps receded, though they do not leave the room.

They go to the other bed. Carlos didn't dare let himself relax as he listens carefully, but they just seem to stand by the bed, for he hears no more steps. Then there is a voice, and he can't help his flinch of fear. Said voice is deep, sonorous, and blindingly familiar. It was almost as if everything had come back to Carlos. The fight, Captain Strex pulling him into the warehouse, the Voice, his deep, melodious words speaking, and Carlos not knowing what he was saying, but moving. His feet moving without him. The pain of waking up, concussed and blinded, tied to a chair, the man, Calvary, mistaking him for his brother. And the Voice, the one from the alley, untying him, apologising over and over. Carlos remembers the night in the alley, the kind man who saved him but was also a wanted villain, a man who broke into StrexCorp, who is possibly tied to the Dog Park, or other villains like Apache or Endemic. 

Carlos remembered thinking about all this, seeing the mans face and screaming with fear. He remembered falling backwards, then the floor, and nothing else.The Voice spoke. "Janice, honey, are you feeling better?" Carlos peeked his eyes open to see the villain standing by the other bed, softly petting the sleeping child's hair. Or at least, that's what he deduced. He was still very much near sighted. 

A quiet voice rang from the bed, weak and hoarse. "Uncle...You're back." She sounded happy. "How'd the...The mission? Work...How was..." Her voice trails off into a coughing fit.

"We did fine, Janice. Everyone's okay." The Voice answered. 

"Good."

"We're calling in a doctor to help you. You'll all better real soon, and then I'll take you to get ice cream, alright? And maybe introduce you to Carlos?"

Carlos did not expect the happy noise that then exited the girl's mouth. It was sort of a sick, happy little squeal. "I'll get to meet the scientist!" She said, as loud as her raspy voice could. 

The Voice chuckled. "Yes. he's going to be staying here got a few days. Once you're all well, I'll let you meet him." There's a spot of silence between the too, kind and companionable. "Go to sleep, hon. I'll come back later for some food for you."

"Uncle...Can I have'a story?"

The man hesitated, but apparently couldn't help himself. "Alright, one quick story. Then sleep. You need your rest if you want to get better."

Carlos then listened to a story spun by the Voice. His smooth, sonorous voice slid over Carlos's ears, so much that he almost felt himself falling asleep as well to the sound of the story. It was about some sort of garden where a group of ogres saved a young girl and brought her to a good land away from her evil society. It seemed a little deep for a child, to be honest. 

When the story ended, Carlos closed his eyes again, listening as the footsteps recede again. They stopped at the foot of Carlos's bed, unfortunately. Maybe this would be the time he'd be dragged away and tortured, or thrown into some sort of cell. Best to pretend he was still asleep.

After a few agonising seconds, the man spoke, Carlos using all his might not to jump. "Are you a vegetarian? I don't want to feed you something with meet in it if you are. Or vegan, or gluten intolerant, any of those?" More seconds of silence. There was no malice in the voice, just kind curiosity. "It's alright, you can pretend to sleep if that makes you feel safer. I'll just try to find the most vegan, allergy tolerant thing we have." He seemed to wait, to see if Carlos was going to say anything, but sighed softly when he realised that was very unlikely. "I'll be back. Bye, Carlos." Then the footsteps walked away, the door closing.


End file.
